Semirigid airship



W. B. WHEELER sE'MRIGID AIRSHIP Sept. 18, 1928.

Filed 'June s, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 4 v ATTORNEY.

Septu 1s', 192s. 1,684,425

W. B. WHEELER SEMIRIGID AIRSHIP l Filed June 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

INVENTOR,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 18,1928.

UNITED STA WELLINGTON B. WHEELER, 0F EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA. i

SEMIRIGID AIRSHIP.

Application filed .Tune 8,

My invention relates to airships and more particularly to a semi-rigid airship construction and to driving means and controlling means for airsliips of the dirigible type.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive airship struct-ure, l the driving mechanism wholly within 'the body thereof, so that there is a minimum Yof resistance to its movementthrough the air. n

A. further object is to provide meansinstead of the usual propellers, for propelling airships *and for supplementing the usual steering means in directingtheir course and changing their position.

.A further object is toprovide an airsliip, of the character described and with propelling means as described, which may be steered and inaneuvered with exceptional facility.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter and while show herewith and willdescribe a preferred foim of construction, I desire it to be understood that I do not. confine` my invention to such preferred forni but that various changes and adaptations inay be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention as hereinafter claimed.

Referring to the drawings which accompany this specification and form a part thereof: Y

Fig. l is a left side view 'of an airship embodying the principles of my invention. D

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the airship, taken through the ring compartment thereof approximately on line 2-2 in Fig. 1. n

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectionaly view or the ring frame taken longitudinally of the airship. 4

Fig. 4 is a further enlarged sectional'view of the upper side of the ring frame, showing one of the ventilator pipes and one of the nozzles. n

Fig. 5 is a sectional view lof the ventilator pipe and nozzle, taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Y Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the nozzle control pulleys. I

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the tail end of the airship,the section being taken vertically and longitudinally of the ship.

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of the tail end of the airship talren on line 8 8 of Fig?. .v y The general form of my semisrigid airship is similar to that of the usual dirigible. Its

of the usual dirigibleform, having 1927. Serial No. 197,304.

framework consists of a single giider 10 running throughout the length of the ship along its lower side, a nose-frame 11 fixed on the front end of. the girder, one or more transverse ring frames 12 fixed` at intermediate points of the girder, between its front .and rear ends, and a tail frame 13 fixed on the rear end` of the girder.v This framework is made of duraluinin, preferably, or similar light metal. f

The air-ship here shown, by way of illustration, has only one ring-frame and the girder is madein two'sections, extending from the ring frame toward the front and toward the rear end of the ship. Suitably formed gas bags 14 and 15 are made to fill the space between the ring frame and thejnose and tail frames, respectively, and these are laced to said frames inthe usual way and are provided with flaps 16 and 17 adapted to extend downwardly on either side of the girder and to be laced alongtlie lower edge thereof, so as completely to enclose it. A control and passenger cabin- 18 having walls'with projecting panels 19, set at an angle to allow persons to look straight downwardly through them is rigidly attached to girder 1 0 and ring frame 12's() as to extend somewhat forwardly and rearwardly from the latter.

' Rino' frame 12 is built up of various parts, suitably tied and braced, to form a rigid circular unit which occupies a longitudinal space in Jthe ship sufhcient to 'accommodate its propelling mechanism. This propelling mechanism consists of a powerful blower 20 driven by a. motor or engine 21 directly connccted thereto, and a series of radial. air conduits 22, preferably four in number, leading from the blower to pivoted nozzles 23 which .l

extend through-short Ventilating pipes 24,

said Ventilating pipes being turnable in bearings 25 fixed 90o-apartin ring frame 12, one

` in the upper side, vone in the lower side and the other two in diainetrically opposite positions inthe right and left sides thereof. The lower nozzle and ventilating pipe are extended downwardly through thefcabin as at 26 and an extra bearing 27 is fixed in, the floor Vof thecabin to carry the lower end thereof.

rThe inner vends of the nozzles are fixed in he inner ends ofthe Ventilating pipes, concentrically therewith byradial spacingarms 28so as to provide annular openspaees 29 between them, and right angled `bends are made in both nozzles and Ventilating pipes,

outside ofn bearings 25, the bends of the former `being opposite in direction to those of the latter, and the former projecting through the latter, so that when the nozzle opening faces backwardly the opening 31 ofthe ventilating pipe faces forwardly. Openings 31 ofthe Ventilating pipe aie partially collapsed so as to form an elongated inlet, as shown in -Figs. 2 and 4, and a covering 32 is fixed on the sides of each nozzle and Ventilating pipe so that a revolviible fin 33 is formed, with the air inlet at one end and the discharge nozzle at` the other end thereof.

Grooved pulleys 34 are fixed on the inner v end of each ventilatin -pipe and cables 35 are run around these an over suitably placed small pulleys 36, downwardly to cabin 18 and around control pulleys 37, placed in the control end thereof. The control pulleys 37 are made of equal size with grooved pulleys 34 and are marked withl pointers 38U whereby the lposition of each nozzle may bedetermined at a glance.

The usual finsV 39, with rudder 40 and elevator 41 are attached to the tail frame 13 of the airship andthe rudder and elevator are connected to steering wheels (not shown) in the control cabin, in the usual Way, provision being made in the elevator wheel for permitlnism 42, mountedinside the tail frame.

ting the elevator to float or swing under the influence of an automatic stabilizer meclhlae stabilizer mechanism consists of a transverse pivot shaft 43, having a short crank arm 44, and alongweight arm45, with a weight 46 on its lower end,.fixed thereto, said shaft being pivoted at its endsin uprights 47 which forni part of the tail frame, The elevator is attachedto a second pivot shaft 48 extending through the tail frame parallel to shaft 43 and in spaced relation thereto, said shaft 48 having acrank arm 49 which is connected to crank arm 44 on shaft 43 by a connecting rod 50. Crank arms 44 and 49m-e fixed on their respective shafts so that connecting rod 5U intersects the line of centersof the two shafts and causes them always to turn in opposite directions, whereby elevatoi41 is caused to i swing downwardly when weight 46 swings 1 serve as a ladder whereby said upper bridge is inclined in a downward or forwardly and upwardly when theweight swings rearwardly. according as theairship an upward course.v

A transversebridge 51, with its ends projectingto form observation balconies 52 upon which guns may be mounted, is built within ring-frame `12, above blower 20, said bridge being `accessible by steps or a ladder 53 extending from the floor 54 of the riiig com partaient. Asliorterbridge 55 is builtin the upper part of the ring-frame and transverse bars56 are fixed in the vertical conduit 22 to 55 maybe reached from lower bridge/51. A hatch 57 is niadeintheroof of the ringcompartment anda ladder 58 extending, from upper bridge 55, is fixed in position to give access to said hatch.

The airship is held in position for taking on or discharging passengers by an anchor cable 59, .attached to a suitableanchorage (not'shown), and an elevator car 60 is suspended on a, winchcable 61 adapted to wind on a winch (not shown) which may be connected to engine21 so as to beoperated thereby, saidelevatorcar serving to carry passengers to `and from cabin 18, it .beingy Aunder-A stood that an opening is made in the cabin floor so that elevator car .60 `may be drawn wholly within the Vpassenger cabin. A, snatch-block lb2, adapted. to 'run onanichor` cable 59, is attachedto the topof elevator car so as to hold the elevator ycarv close to the anchor cable as a guide while it rises from the ground or descends from the pas` senger cabin.

'llhe operation of my airship willbezunderstood most readily by referencetoFgs. .2, 3, 4 and A7. Air currents alone, produced Lhy blower 20 and directed by nozzles::23, serve to propel the aii'ship and. in ameasure to control its course. The powerof the blower such as to produce. a strong `flow of .air through conduits22 and out'of nozzles23, the air `supply for. the blowerlowing intoI the,` ring compartment through `ventilator pipes 24. When tlie nozzles` are turned straight backward the reactionof the currents issuing therefrom with` the surrounding` air causes the nii-ship to. moveY forward, theatniospheric resistance to, its `progress being somewhat reduced by the through the ventilatingvpipes, caused `.bythe suction of the blower. Each of the nozzles being controlled by a separate pulleyythey may be turned' individually intopositions which will'steer the airship in any direction, will stop it and back it up or will swing it about a vert-ical axis. By directing the ftwo side nozzles downwardly it will be caused to rise, by directing them upwardlypit willi-be caused to descend, by directing both forwardly directing one forwardly and the other backwardly it may be caused to turn totheright or to the left. The upper and lower nozzles may also be directed toward one side or the other to hold the airship in its course against a side Wind or to assistin turningit gorf they may-be directed forwardlyto assietlinbac-kfing it up. 'Y Y i The rudder 40 and elevator-41`maybeoperated in the usual way, as supplementary steering means,A lowed to `opera-te automatically as a stabilizer under the influence ofweiglitfl, assug gestedin ,the foregoing.description.` In the latter case it will be seen that when the/airshipis inclined upwardly weight 46swings rearwardly, as indicated yal-row 63 in Fig.

it may be causedV to backup and by or the elevator"`may be al- SII inflow .of- Iair l lll' ' 7, and causes elevator 41 to swing downwardly so that it tends to lift the tail end of the airship andthus to hold it on an even keel. lVlien the airship is inclined downwardly weight 46 swings forwardly, as indicated by ariow 64, and causes elevator 41 to swing upwardly which action depresses the tail end and again tends to hold the airship on an even keel.

It will be seen that the air currents issuing from the several nozzles normally act not only to propel the airship forwardly but also to reduce the skin or surface friction on the sides of the airship back of them. It will also be seen that the active circulation of air within the ring'compartment of the airship prevents any accumulation of gas which might cause an explosion.

While the drawings show an airship with only one ring-frame and two gas-bags it is evident that it might be built with two orv more. ring-frames, suitably spaced, and with three or more gas bags to fit the intervening spaces. The nose and tail frames may also be so construct-ed as to be readily replaceable in case of injury or destruction by accident. s

Having thus illustrated and described my invention, I claim:

l. A semi-rigid airship comprising a single longitudinal girder extending along the under side thereof; a nose frame fixed on the front end of said girder, a tail frame iixed on the rear end of said girder, said tail frame being adapted to carry a rudder and an ele vator; a ring frame fixed to said girder, be-

l tween said nose frame and tail frame, said ring frame being adapted to carry propelling machinery; gas-bags fastened between said ring frame and said nose and tail frames and to said -girderg propelling means mounted in said ring frame; steering means mounted in said tail frame and a control and passenger cabin att-ached to said girder, below said ring frame, said passenger cabin having elevator means associated therewith for carrying' passengers thereto and therefrom.

2. In an airship, of the dirigible type, a transverse ring compartment built into the body thereof, forwardly of its middle part; a blower'mo-unted in said ring compartment with an engine adapted to drive it; a series of air conduits connected to,said blower, said air conduits terminating in piVoted nozzles which project radially from said ring compartment and are bent so that their orifices extend at right angles to the axis of said c0nduits, and means for turning each of said nozzles about the axis of the conduit which it terminates. t

3. In an airship, o-f the dirigible type,` a transverse ring compartment built into the body thereof, forwardly of its middlek part; a blower mounted in said ring compartment with an engine adapted to drive it; a series of air conduits connected to said blower and extended to equally spaced points within said ring compartment; bent nozzles connected to said air conduits so as to be turnab-le thereon, said nozzles projecting radially 'from said ring compartment with their orifices extending at right angles to the axis of said con-l duits; means for admitting air into said ring compartment and means for turning each of said nozzles about the axis of the conduit to which itis attached.

4.V In an airship of the dirigible type, a transverse ring compartment built into'the body thereof inspaced relationto its front andrear ends; a blower mount-ed in said ring compartmentwith an engine adapted to drive it; equally spaced Ventilating pipes fixed in four sides of said ring compartment so as to be turnable about radial axis, said pipes being bent outside said ring compartment so that their openings are directed at right angles to said radialaxis; air conduits connected to said blower and terminating within said Ventilating pipes; bent nozzles connected to said air conduits so as to be turnable thereon, said nozzles being fixed in said ven- Vtilating pipes so as to turn therewith and so as to project therefrom with their orifices extending directly opposite in direction to that of the Ventilating` pipe openings, and means, operable from the control cabin of the airship, for turning said Ventilator pipes and said nozzles.

5. In an airship of the dirigible type, a transverse ring compartment built into the body thereof, in spaced relation to its front and rea-r ends; regularly spaced fins fixed in diametrically opposite positions, vertically and horizontally, in the sides of said ring compartment so as to be turnable about radial axis; Ventilating pipes fixed in said fins so as vto be turnable therewith, said Ventilating pipes being bent so that; their openings coineide with one end of said fins and are d irected at right angles to their turning axis; a blower mounted in said ring compartment with an engine adapted to drivev it; vair conduits connected tosaid blowerand to said iins; nozzles attached to said air conduits within said fins soas to be turnable with the latter on the former, said nozzles being bent so that their orifices coincide with the other ends of said lins and extend oppositely in direction from said Ventilating pipe orifices, and means, operable from the control cabin ofthe airship, for turning said fins, nozzles and Ventilating pipes.

WELLINGTON B. WHEELER. 

